Rhonda Kearns, Clinton City Council

05/05/2026

FYI…

While research has shown that pollinators, specifically honey bees, can’t survive on dandelion pollen alone, this doesn’t mean that the dandelions aren’t still important for pollinators.

04/05/2026

In a perfect world, the City and the Humane Society could come to an agreement and help animals. Sadly, the city put in $706,000 over the last 3 years that we had a contract with them. It was an unsustainable amount. The contract was written too loosely on hoarding and when we tried to tighten that up, they no longer wanted to handle hoarding. Sadly, that wasn’t an option for us. We had to back out.

That does not mean the Clinton Humane Society had to stop helping dogs. In fact, they receive donations for that exact reason. So let me say this to the public that thinks all the responsibility belongs to the city leaders….
It does not. We are fulfilling our obligation by law. That is all we can do at this time without a reasonable contract.

03/25/2026

This is an extremely misleading post! The council opted to not accept the plan to replace Lubbers Fountain with a new one. We understand the historic value of our current fountain and would like to fix it. We will bandaid it again this summer until we have more money.

Full disclosure, I cannot read the Herald article because I dropped my subscription due to their negativity. This is a perfect example!

03/22/2026

FYI…enforcement is based on complaints from neighbors. Happy neighbors, happy life. 😊

📢 PUBLIC NOTICE 📢

Attention City of Clinton Property Owners:

🌿 Grass, Weeds, Vines, and Brush must be cut when they exceed 8 inches in height.

⚠️ Failure to Comply:
-The city will perform the work.
-Costs, including a $200 administrative fee for lots up to 1/4 acre, will be assessed to the property owner.
-Additional $100 for every 1/4 acre thereafter.
-Unpaid costs will be collected as property tax.

Let's keep our city clean and beautiful! 🌟

https://ow.ly/7VBE50VeT2C

03/12/2026

This is simply a first pass. We submit a higher rate than what we expect because the state has a deadline. And we have to meet that deadline with a “not to exceed” number even though the state has not finalized their cuts. Makes no sense, yet here we are. There are still budget discussions to be had. And I for one, will fight to get this number lowered.

03/06/2026

Exciting for Clinton…

Dambo Trolls coming to Clinton?? Join us at the Sawmill Museum on March 17th at 10:30 am to learn more about these breathtaking trolls coming to town!

Our presenters—Andy Green, Director of the Sawmill Museum; Ann Eisenman, Foundation Director of the Paul B. Sharar Foundation; and Doug Smith, Associate Director of the Bickelhaupt Arboretum—will share all the information you need about the Dambo Trolls and ways you can get involved!

02/26/2026

Let’s talk city budget!
Despite the uninformed posts I have seen on FB, council has NOT been given a realistic balanced budget to approve for Fiscal year 2027

You cannot continue to rob Peter to pay Paul, and think we will keep our head above water. I encourage anyone and everyone to show up to see the discussions. Or watch on You Tube.

Tonight at 3pm at City Hall.

01/08/2026

Fastest way to report an issue and see results.

The City of Clinton has an online system where you can report a concern.

Go to cityofclintoniowa.gov and follow the steps below to submit a ticket, or click on this link to take you directly to the ticket system: https://www.cityofclintoniowa.gov/604/Report-a-Concern

01/02/2026

Is your roof leaking or in serious disrepair?
The City of Clinton Roof Grant Program provides financial assistance for qualified applicants.
Who can apply?
• Homeowners in Clinton city limits
• Primary residence
• Must meet income and program guidelines
Why wait? A safe roof protects your home
Apply today:
Web site: cityofclintoniowa.gov
Applications can be picked up at City Hall located at 611 South 3rd Street.

12/31/2025

I know the amount of stray snd loose animals in Clinton is alot. It breaks my heart. People need to do better!

For a clarification, the Police Dept is not an animal shelter. They cannot take in stray dogs. I am hearing from many people their frustration with the Clinton Humane Society. You really need to voice that frustration to them directly. This is a business decision on their part to not accept animals.
Thank you!

12/27/2025

About time…

starting January 1, 2026, fines for using handheld mobile devices while driving officially begin under Iowa’s new hands-free driving law.

Here’s a quick reminder of what that means:

📍 Iowa Hands-Free Law (effective July 1, 2025):

Drivers may not hold or manually use a cellphone or other electronic device while their vehicle is moving — including for calls, texting, browsing, GPS entry, or other interaction — unless the device is in hands-free mode (voice commands, Bluetooth, dashboard mount, etc.).
Iowa Department of Public Safety

📅 Enforcement Timeline:

July 1 – December 31, 2025: Law enforcement issues warnings only to give drivers time to adjust.
Iowa Department of Public Safety

January 1 2026: Fines begin for violations.

💵 Penalties starting January 1, 2026:

Standard violation: $100 fine plus a simple misdemeanor charge.

If the violation results in injury: $500 fine.

If the violation results in a death: $1,000 fine.

👉 The goal of this law is to reduce distracted-driving crashes and fatalities by keeping drivers’ hands on the wheel and eyes on the road